Before the Walt Disney Company’s involvement, William Joyce had pitched the story to various filmmakers as a potential live-action film. Pre-production of the film was first unveiled during SIGGRAPH 2001, where a character resembling Lewis showcased a tech demo for “Project Gemini.” Since storyboard artist Stephen Anderson grew up adopted like the film’s protagonist at the end, he decided to direct the film. The studio planned to adapt Joyce’s style into the film, due to his stylistic involvement in Robots. Still taking cues from his retro style, influenced by everything from Technicolor films, 1940s design, and Apple. Unlike Chicken Little, the animation crew had the challenge of animating CGI humans, which they mostly took from The Incredibles. When the film was in production, the Walt Disney Company announced that it would be acquiring Pixar and John Lasseter became the chief creative officer of both Disney and Pixar Animated Studios. When he saw an early film screening, Lasseter told Anderson that he didn’t find the villain scary enough and suggested he make some changes. This led to 60% of the film being scrapped and redone 10 months later. The villain had improved and was given a new sidekick, a dinosaur chase was added, and the ending was changed. Upon its 2007 release, it received positive reviews from critics but grossed $170.5 million against a $150 million budget making it a box office failure. Although it won some Annies. Today it holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 68%.

              Jan Pinkava came with the concept of Ratatouille in 2000, creating the original design, sets, characters, and core storyline. But he was never formally named the film’s director. Bob Petersen was added as director in 2004 but left the film to return to Up a year later. While Brad Bird became director in 2005 as Pinkava left Pixar. Bird was attracted to the film because of the concept’s outlandishness and the conflict driving it. He was also delighted that the film can be made as a highly physical comedy with Linguini providing endless fun for the animators. Bird rewrote the story with a change in emphasis. He killed off Gusteau, gave Skinner and Colette larger roles, and changed the rats’ appearance as less anthropomorphic. Because Ratatouille intended to have a romantic, lush vision of Paris, giving it an identity distinct from its previous films, director Bird, producer Brad Lewis, and some of the crew spent a week in the city to properly understand its environment, taking a motorcycle tour and eating at 5 of its top restaurants. For the scene where Linguini jumps into the Seine to fetch Remy, a Pixar employee jumped into Pixar’s swimming pool wearing a chef’s uniform and apron to see which parts of the suit stuck to his body and became translucent from water absorption. Since creating computer-generated images of food that would appear delicious proved a challenge to the filmmakers, the team consulted American and French chefs. Animators attended cooking classes at San Francisco-area culinary schools to understand a commercial kitchen’s workings. Sets/Layout Manager and former culinary academy-trained professional chef Michael Warch helped teach and consult the animators as they worked. He also prepared dishes used by Art Shade/Paint, Effects, and Sets Modeling departments. Renowned chef allowed producer Brad Lewis to intern in his French Laundry kitchen. Rat expert Deb Ducommun was consulted on rat habits and characteristics and a vivarium containing pet rats sat in a hallway for more than a year so animators could study the movement of the animals’ fur, noses, ears, paws, and tails as they ran. The film was also the first of Pixar’s to be animated with traditional techniques than motion capture. In its 2007 release, Ratatouille received widespread acclaim and grossed $623.7 million worldwide at the box office. In addition it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and has been voted as one of the 100 greatest movies of the 21^st century conducted by a 2016 critics’ poll by the BBC. In this post, we’ll meet the voices behind 4 characters from Cars, voice actor Tom Kenny, as well as the voices behind Carl, Franny Robinson, Django, Colette, and Larousse.

341. Katherine Helmond

Dates: 1929-2019

Early Life and Career: Born in Galveston, Texas. Had a younger sister who died in infancy. Father left the family at some point and she was raised by her devout Catholic mother and grandmother. Though her mother remarried in 1937. Attended a Catholic primary school and appeared in school plays. After making her stage debut in As You Like It, Helmond began working in New York City in 1955. Later ran a summer theatre in the Catskills for 3 seasons and taught acting in university theatre programs. Made her TV debut in 1962 but didn’t appear regularly until 1973. In 1983, Helmond studied at the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop.

Movies and Cartoons: Cars (2006), Cars 2 (2011), and Cars 3 (2017) as well as the series Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales.

Characters: Lizzie

Also Known For: Actress with a career spanning over 6 decades. Best known as Jessica Tate in Soap, Mona Robinson in Who’s the Boss?, Doris Sherman in Coach, and Lois Whelan in Everybody Loves Raymond. Film appearances include Family Plot, Time Bandits, Brazil, Overboard (1987), Believe in Me, The Hospital, The Hindenburg, Lady in White, Inside Monkey Zetterland, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Frank & Ava. TV appearances include Car 54, Where Are You?, Gunsmoke, The Bob Newhart Show, Mannix, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, The Legend of Lizzie Borden, The Six Million Dollar Man, Benson, Faerie Tale Theatre, Mr. St. Nick, A Grandpa for Christmas, Melissa & Joey, True Blood, and Harry’s Law.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was actor George N. Martin from 1959 to their divorce in 1962. Second husband was David Richard Christian from 1969 until her death.

Later Life: Died in 2019 from Alzheimer’s disease at her Los Angeles home at 89. Death was announced a week later.

Trivia: Was nominated for a Tony Award for The Great God Brown in 1973. Has won 2 Golden Globe awards as well as been nominated for 5 Emmys.

342. Elissa Knight

Dates: 1975-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Santa Cruz, California. Attended University of California, Santa Cruz where she graduated with a degree in theater and English literature in 1997. Has worked for Pixar since 1998.

Movies and Cartoons: Cars (2006), WALL-E (2008), Monsters University (2013), and Inside Out (2015) as well as shorts BURN-E and Party Central, the series Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales, and several video games.

Characters: Tia and EVE

Also Known For: Voice actress at Pixar who’s worked on numerous films at Pixar such as Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), and WALL-E (2008). Knight normally voices animated characters as necessary, occasionally recording scratch tracks for use until a bigger actor can record their dialogue. Her recorded dialogue as EVE for WALL-E was originally meant to be a placeholder while the casting director looked for an actress that would voice the part. But the producers liked Knight’s performance to use it in the finished film.

Personal Life: I can’t find anything about her personal life.

Later Life: Still actively working at Pixar as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

343. Jonas Rivera

Dates: 1971-present

Early Life and Career: Born and raised in Castro Valley, California. Wanted to be an animator as a boy but according to him, he couldn’t draw. Graduated from the San Francisco State University with a degree in Film Production. Joined Pixar in 1994 as an intern and has worked on every Pixar film since Toy Story (1995). First as coordinator and manager. Later as producer.

Movies and Cartoons: Cars (2006)

Characters: Boost

Also Known For: Producer and as of 2022, executive vice president of film production at Pixar Animation Studios, overseeing operational issues for all film and streaming production. Produced films such as Up (2009), Inside Out (2015), and Toy Story 4 (2019). Other films he worked on include Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Cars (2006), Soul (2020), and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as a couple of shorts.

Personal Life: Married to a woman named Michele. Has 2 daughters named Ava and Elsa as well as a son named William.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: During the making of Toy Story, Rivera started collecting things used in the movie’s production, which would later become the Pixar Archives that contains thousands of objects and stored in a climate-controlled building. Claimed he was inspired by Disney, which has also saved objects from studio productions.

344. Steve Purcell

Dates: 1961-present

Early Life and Career: Born and raised in California. Has been drawing since he was 3. Describes himself as an average student at school but wishes he tried harder looking back. Graduated from the California College of Arts and Craft in San Francisco but started creating comic books while still an undergraduate. While credited the creator of the Sam & Max comic series, the characters were actually created by his younger brother David in their youth but he’d often leave the comics unfinished. This allowed Purcell sometimes finish these stories in parodies of their original form if only out of sibling rivalry. Yet at least his brother David was decent enough to sign over the rights to the characters to his older brother on the latter’s birthday. However, Sam & Max didn’t become available to the masses until after Purcell spent stints working as a freelance illustrator for Marvel Comics, Chaosium, and Steven Moncuse’s Fish Police series. And only when Moncuse approached Purcell on another comic book series to accompany the Fish Police series. Purcell agreed and wrote his first feature-length Sam and Max comic that was published by Fishwrap Productions in 1987. Was later hired by LucasArts as an animator in 1988 but was laid off when the project he was working on was cancelled. Yet, he was rehired to work on various projects until he left that company in 1997. Joined the Canadian studio Nelvana to create the Sam & Max cartoon series for TV and later briefly worked for Industrial Light and Magic. Moved to Pixar in 2000.

Movies and Cartoons: Cars (2006), Brave (2012), Toy Story 4 (2019), and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as various shorts, a few video games, and the TV special Toy Story That Time Forgot.

Characters: Tractors, The Crow, Benson, The Dummies, and Deep Dark Secret

Also Known For: Cartoonist, animator, game designer, and voice actor. Created the franchise Sam & Max which has spun a TV series and various video games. Has worked behind the scenes of Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), Brave (2012), Coco (2017), Incredibles 2 (2018), Toy Story 4 (2019), Turning Red (2022), Lightyear (2022), Elemental (2023), and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as various series and shorts. Worked on video games such as Maniac Mansion, Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders, Their Finest Hour, Pipe Dream, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure, Loom, The Secret of Monkey Island, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge, ToeJam & Earl, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, The Horde, Mortimer and the Riddles of the Medallion, Herc’s Adventures, The Curse of Monkey Island, and Tales of Monkey Island.

Personal Life: Married to Collette Michaud since 1993. Has 2 sons.

Later Life: Lives in California. In 2023, he was one of the 75 Pixar employees laid off by the Walt Disney Company as part of an on-going company-wide restructuring.

Trivia: Kept a pet rat during his childhood and has a keen interest in the rodent.

345. Harland Williams

Dates: 1962-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Toronto, Ontario in Canada. Mother was a writer and social worker. Father was a lawyer and member of the Ontario legislature named John Reesor Williams. Grew up in Toronto’s Willowdale neighborhood. Enrolled in Sheridan College in 1983 where he studied animation and media arts. All while periodically working as a forest ranger at Fort Frances. Began stand-up comedy in 1984 and performed in Toronto for 7 years before moving to Los Angeles in 1992. Credits his 1993 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman as his breakthrough.

Movies and Cartoons: Meet the Robinsons (2007) as well as the Meet the Robinsons video game and various series.

Characters: Carl

Also Known For: Canadian-American comedian and actor best known as the psychopathic hitch-hiker in There’s Something About Mary. Film appearances include Dumb and Dumber, RocketMan, Half Baked, The Whole Nine Yards, Freddy Got Fingered, Sorority Boys, Robots, Sausage Party, Superstar, Becoming Dick, Kart Racer, Lucky 13, Because of Winn-Dixie, Employee of the Month, Surf School, The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning, Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, My Life in Ruins, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto, Dahmer vs. Gacy, Spooky Buddies, Lloyd the Conqueror, Back in the Day, The Addams Family, The Turkey Bowl, and Fearless. TV appearances include Ellen, Big News, Simon, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Ned’s Newt, Family Guy, Gary & Mike, The Santa Claus Brothers, My Name Is Earl, Slacker Cats, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, Robot Chicken, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange, Robot and Monster, Package Deal, TripTank, Skylanders Academy, Bunnicula, and Oddballs.

Personal Life: Brother of special effects artist Steve “Spaz” Williams. Cousin of Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Kevin Hearn. Other than that, I can’t find anything else about his personal life.

Later Life: Became an American citizen in 2009.

Trivia: None.

346. Nicole Sullivan

Dates: 1970-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Manhattan in New York City. Mother was a businesswoman. Father was Edgar C. Sullivan who represented Manhattan’s 69^th District in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 2002. Took dance lessons at 7 and performed in Off-Broadway and Broadway productions with the First All-Children’s Theatre. Family moved upstate to Middleburgh in 1982. In high school, she was class treasurer during her junior year, played soccer, served student council, and recorded stats for the boys’ basketball team. After her graduation from Middleburgh, Sullivan attended Northwestern University as a theater major as well as worked 2 jobs to pay for college along with writing plays and sketches for the student theatre. Spent her junior year in London where she studied at the British American Drama Academy and became a member of the Greenwich Shakespeare Company. After graduating from  Northwestern, Sullivan moved to Los Angeles to pursue a TV career. Although initially appearing in commercials and sporadic guest roles, she was recruited for the cast of MADtv.

Movies and Cartoons: Meet the Robinsons (2007) as well as the direct-to-video Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, various series and a couple of video games.

Characters: Franny Robinson

Also Known For: Actress best known as a cast member on MADtv as well as Holly Shumpert in King of Queens, Jill Tracy in Scrubs, Mira Nova in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Shego in Kim Possible, Marlene the Otter in The Penguins of Madagascar, Lynn Mettler in Cougar Town, Lyla in Let It Shine, Wilma Basset in Wendell & Vinnie, Janine in Black-ish, and Kara Danvers/Supergirl in DC Super Hero Girls. Film appearances include Bar Hopping, The Third Wheel, Guess Who, The Ant Bully, Superhero Movie, Black Dynamite, 17 Again, Pee Wee’s Big Holiday, Eat with Me, and I’ll Be Next Door for Christmas. TV appearances include Herman’s Head, Party of Five, Diagnosis: Murder, The Drew Carey Show, Fired Up, Daddio, Talk to Me, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Baby Blues, Family Guy, According to Jim, Teamo Supremo, Clone High, Less Than Perfect, Rugrats, Miss Match, Crank Yankers, Monk, Boston Legal, Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, Raines, Slacker Cats, Head Case, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Rita Rocks, The Secret Saturdays, Leverage, It’s Me or the Dog, Numb3rs, $#*! My Dad Says, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Game, The Middle, TripTank, BoJack Horseman, Grey’s Anatomy, Bones, Mutt & Stuff, Mom, Girlboss, The Mindy Project, Corporate, The Boss Baby: Back in Business, Liverspots and Astronots, Team Kaylie, Harley Quinn, Will & Grace, Bob Hearts Abishola, Teen Titans Go!, The Secret Lives of College Girls, All Rise, Good Girls, The Neighborhood, Murderville, Last Week Tonight, Raven’s Home, American Born Chinese, and Running Point. Video game appearances include Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, FusionFall, and The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5^th Sun.

Personal Life: Married to Jack Packham since 2006. Has 2 sons born in 2007 and 2009. At one point she and her husband owned 4 mix-breed dogs and 3 cats.

Later Life: Listed her home in Hollywood Hills for $1.45 million in 2021.

Trivia: Won the first edition of Celebrity Poker Showdown and donated her $100,000 winnings to Alley Cat Allies.

347. Tom Kenny

Dates: 1962-present

Early Life and Career: Born Thomas James Kenny in Syracuse, New York. Loved drawing and collecting records. Met Bobcat Goldthwait in first grade and they became lifelong friends. In their mid-teens, they saw an open-mic night at the Skaneateles that featured comedian Barry Cummins with the moniker “Bear Cat.” He and Goldthwait went to the event and performed under the monikers Tomcat and Bobcat respectively. Goldthwait would describe Kenny’s stand-up routines: “Tom would get up there and talk about his therapist and he didn’t even have a therapist, he just loved Woody Allen.” Went to the Catholic Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School. After college, Kenny performed stand-up comedy for 8 years before moving on to other venues. Made his film debut in 1989.

Movies and Cartoons: Meet the Robinsons (2007) and Winnie the Pooh (2011) as well as various series and the Kingdom Hearts III video game.

Characters: Mr. Willerstein and Rabbit

Also Known For: Actor and comedian best known as SpongeBob SquarePants in the titular cartoon franchise since 1999, Heffer Wolfe in Rocko’s Modern Life, the Ice King in Adventure Time and Fionna and Cake, the Narrator and Mayor in The Powderpuff Girls, Carl Chryniszzswics in Johnny Bravo, Dog in CatDog, Starscream in Transformers: Animated, Hank and Jeremy in Talking Tom and Friends, the Penguin in various DC Comics media, and Spyro from the Spyro video game series. Film appearances include Dr. Doolittle 2, Hoodwinked!, The Ant Bully, Happily N’Ever After, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Zambezia, Hotel Transylvania, Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return, Ant-Man, Transformers: The Last Knight, Charming, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, Extinct, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, Pinocchio: A True Story, The Magician’s Elephant, Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp, Porco Rosso, How I Got Into College, Shakes the Clown, Scary Movie 3, Surviving Christmas, Comic Book: The Movie, Sky High, World’s Greatest Dad, God Bless America, and Battle of the Sexes. TV appearances include What a Cartoon!, Dexter’s Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, Oh Yeah! Cartoons, The Wild Thornberrys, Dilbert, Futurama, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, The Zeta Project, The Flintstones: On the Rocks, Samurai Jack, Horrible Histories, The Fairly OddParents, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, As Told by Ginger, The Grim Adventures of Bill & Mandy, Stripperella, Duck Dodgers, Xiaolin Showdown, Crank Yankers, Dave the Barbarian, Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Robot Chicken, Loonatics Unleashed, A.T.O.M., Johnny Test, Squirrel Boy, Handy Manny, WordGirl, Chowder, Back at the Barnyard, Imagination Movers, Betsy’s Kindergarten Adventures, Random! Cartoons, The Super Hero Squad Show, Lego Hero Factory, Pound Puppies, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Mad, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Ultimate Spider-Man, The Legend of Korra, The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange, Dragons: Riders of Berk, Brickleberry, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!, Henry Hugglemonster, The Batman, Ben 10: Omniverse, Mixels, TripTank, The Tom and Jerry Show, Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leagured, Rick and Morty, Miles from Tomorrowland, Turbo Fast, Guardians of the Galaxy, DC Super Hero Girls, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show, Mighty Magiswords, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, The Stinky & Dinky Show, Apollo Gauntlet, Wacky Races, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Woody Woodpecker, We Bare Bears, Where’s Waldo?, BoJack Horseman, Bob’s Burgers, Adam Ruins Everything, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, Harley Quinn, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Looney Tunes Cartoons, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, We Baby Bears, The Loud House, Frog and Toad, Batman: Caped Crusader, Friday Night Videos, The Edge, Mr. Show, Just Shoot Me!, That ‘70s Show, and Big Time Beach Party. Video game appearances include Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker, Final Fantasy X, Nickelodeon Party Blast, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Mayhem, Final Fantasy X-2, Samurai Jack: The Shadow of Aku, Nicktoons Movin,’ Teen Titans, Nicktoons Unite!, Nicktoons Winners Cup Racing, Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island, Xiaolin Showdown, Cartoon Network Racing, Brave: The Search for the Spirit Dancer, LEGO Batman: The Videogame, Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet, Marvel Super Hero Squad: Comic Combat, Nicktoons MLB, Marvel Heroes, King’s Quest, Prey, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, Trollhunters: Defenders of Arcadia, Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, and High on Life.

Personal Life: Married to SpongeBob SquarePants co-star Jill Talley since 1996. Although they both met on The Edge in 1992. They have a son named Mack born in 1997 and a daughter Nora born in 2003.

Later Life: Lives in Studio City, California.

Trivia: Has won 2 Annie Awards and 2 Daytime Emmys.

348. Brian Dennehy

Dates: 1938-2020

Early Life and Career: Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Mother was a nurse. Father was a wire service editor for The Associated Press. Family later moved to Long Island, New York where Denehy attended Charminade High School in Mineola. Entered Columbia University on a football scholarship in the fall of 1956. Yet, interrupted his studies to serve 5 years in the US Marines where he was stationed in the US, Japan, and Korea. Returned to Columbia in 1960 and graduated with a B.A. in history in 1965. While acting in regional theater, he supported his family by working blue-collar jobs including taxi driving and bartending. Even spent a brief stint as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch in their Manhattan office during the mid-1970s, which he hated. However, in the 1970s, Denehy’s stage work led him to other gigs in television and film. Breakthrough role was as the overzealous sheriff Will Teasle in 1982’s First Blood.

Movies and Cartoons: Ratatouille (2007) as well as a couple of video games.

Characters: Django

Also Known For: Actor who’s had roles in over 180 films as well as many in TV and stage productions. Variety magazine called him as “perhaps the foremost living interpreter” of playwright Eugene O’Neill’s works on stage and screen. Specialized in playing men of power who in addition to being corrupt, are just plain mean. Film appearances include First Blood, Gorky Park, Silverado, Cocoon, F/X, Tommy Boy, Presumed Innocent, Romeo + Juliet, Knight of Cups, Driveways, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Little Miss Marker, Finders Keepers, The River Rat, Legal Eagles, Best Seller, Miles from Home, Blue Heat, Gladiator, The Stars Fell on Henrietta, Dish Dogs, Summer Catch, Stolen Summer, She Hate Me, Assault on Precinct 13, Everyone’s Hero, Righteous Kill, The Next Three Days, The Big Year, The Seagull, The Tag, The Song of Sway Lake, 3 Days with Dad, and Son of the South. TV appearances include Death of a Salesman, Kojak, Police Woman, Lou Grant, M*A*S*H, Dallas, Knots Landing, Dynasty, Cagney & Lacey, Tall Tales & Legends, Miami Vice, Faerie Tale Theatre, Birdland, Dead Man’s Walk, Nostromo, Just Shoot Me!, The West Wing, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Masters of Science Fiction, 30 Rock, Rules of Engagement, Rizzoli & Isles, The Good Wife, The Big C, The Blacklist, Hap and Leonard, and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Judith Scheff from 1959 to their divorce in 1987. They had 3 daughters, 2 of whom became actresses including Elizabeth. Second wife was Australian Jennifer Arnott from 1988 until his death.

Later Life: Died in 2020 from cardiac arrest following sepsis in New Haven, Connecticut.

Trivia: Has won 2 Primetime Emmys, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe. Also had 6 Primetime Emmy nominations. Inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2010. Was once a co-worker of Martha Stewart during their stockbroker days and the two remained good friends until his death.

349. Janeane Garofalo

Dates: 1964-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Newton, New Jersey. Mother was a secretary in the petrochemical industry who died of cancer when she was 24. Father was a former Exxon executive. Has grown up in places such as Ontario, California, Madison, New Jersey, and Houston, Texas where she attended James E. Taylor High School. Disliked life in Houston because of the heat and humidity as well as the emphasis on prettiness and high school sports. While studying history at Providence College, Garofalo entered a Showtime-sponsored talent search and won the title of “Funniest Person in Rhode Island.” Dreaming of earning a slot on the writing staff of Late Night with David Letterman, she became a professional standup comic upon graduating from college with degrees in history and American studies. Struggled to make a living for a number of years, even working briefly as a bike messenger in Boston. Began her comedy career during the mid-1980s and performed in a disheveled appearance with thick black glasses and unkempt hair. Comedy is often self-deprecating, making fun of popular culture and the pressures on women to conform to body image ideals promoted by the media. Made her first film in 1991.

Movies and Cartoons: Ratatouille (2007)

Characters: Colette Tatou

Also Known For: Actress, comedian, and former co-host on Air America Radio’s The Majority Report as well as appeared in over 50 films. Film appearances include The Truth About Cats & Dogs, Wet Hot American Summer, The Matchmaker, Reality Bites, The Wild, Steal This Movie!, Clay Pidgeons, Mystery Men, The Minus Man, The Independent, Flora & Ulysses, Late for Dinner, Bye Bye Love, Now and Then, The Cable Guy, Sweethearts, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Cop Land, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Half Baked, Can’t Stop Dancing, Dogma, 200 Cigarettes, Dog Park, Titan A.E., The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Big Trouble, The Laramie Project, Wonderland, Ash Tuesday, Jiminy Glick in Lalawood, Duane Hollywood, The Peace Patriots, Stay, Then She Found Me, Labor Pains, Love Hurts, General Education, Bad Parents, Mighty Fine, Little Boxes, The American Side, Sandy Wexler, Submission, A Bread Factory, Come as You Are, Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate, Mercy Black, The God Committee, and The Apology. TV appearances include The Ben Stiller Show, The Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live, The West Wing, 24, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Ideal, Tales of the City, Duckman, NewsRadio, Mr. Show with Bob and David, The State, TV Nation, HBO Comedy Half-Hour, Ellen, Seinfeld, 1996 MTV Movie Awards, Home Improvement, HBO Comedy Hour, Law & Order, Felicity, The Simpsons, Mad About You, The Sopranos, Strangers with Candy, Ed, King of the Hill, The King of Queens, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Freak Show, Two and a Half Men, Greek, Head Case, Noddy in Toyland, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Metalocalypse, Ugly Americans, Inside Amy Schumer, Broad City, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Gap Year, Younger, We Baby Bears, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, and Harley Quinn.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was writer Robert Cohen from 1992 until their divorce in 2012. Although they only married in Vegas as a joke and never had any semblance of a married life whatsoever. And they only divorced when Cohen got engaged to Jimmy Kimmel Live! producer Jill Leiderman. Second and current husband is Brody Tate since 2015. Has struggled with alcoholism and gave up drinking in 2001.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has been nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys and a Screen Actors’ Guild Award. Has been on the cover of Ms. and Venus Zine for her outspoken liberal views.

350. James Remar

Dates: 1953-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Boston, Massachusetts as one of 6 children and grew up in Newton. Mother was from England and worked in mental affairs for the state of Massachusetts. Father was an attorney. Dropped out of high school at 15 and attended what he described as “kind of an alternative school” for a year afterwards. Traveled around the United States, briefly playing guitar in a rock band. Eventually returned home to finish high school but decided not to attend college upon graduation. Decided to become an actor at 20 after being laid off from his job as a roofer and gave himself a trial period for 3 years before he’d go on to something else if it didn’t stick. In Florida, Remar earned a role in a stage production of Cross and Sword. Afterwards, he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre but wasn’t asked back after his first year which he described as “a devastating experience.” Continued searching for other acting jobs before eventually landing the role of Kenicke in a touring production of Grease, and also performing at the Ensemble Studio Theatre before making his film debut in On the Yard.

Movies and Cartoons: Ratatouille (2007)

Characters: Larousse

Also Known For: Actor who’s played numerous roles over a 45-year career, mostly playing villains. Best known as Ajax in The Warriors, Albert Ganz in 48 Hrs., Dutch Schultz in The Cotton Club, Jack Duff in Miracle on 34^th Street (1994), Richard Wright in Sex and the City, Harry Morgan in Dexter, Frank Gordon in Gotham, Peter Gambi in Black Lightning, and Secretary of War Henry Stimson in Oppenheimer. Film appearances include On the Yard, The Long Riders, Windwalker, The Clan of the Cave Bear, Band of the Hand, Rent-A-Cop, Drugstore Cowboy, White Fang (1991), The Tigress, Fatal Instinct, Blink, Renaissance Man, Boys on the Side, Judge Dredd, Wild Bill, The Quest, The Phantom, Mortal Kombat Annihilation, Psycho (1998), Rites of Passage, Blowback, What Lies Beneath, Hellraiser: Inferno, Fear X, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Duplex, The Girl Next Door, Blade: Trinity, Pineapple Express, The Unborn, Endless Bummer, Red, X-Men: First Class, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Django Unchained, The Blackcoat’s Daughter, Eden, Papa: Hemingway in Cuba, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, The Night Watchmen, The Saint, Feed, Dead Reckoning, The Noel Diary, Drugstore June, Megalopolis, and Transformers One. TV appearances include Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, The Equalizer, Crime Story, Tales from the Crypt, The Huntress, Nash Bridges, 7^th Heaven, The X-Files, Justice League, The Twilight Zone, Third Watch, Without a Trace, The Grid, The Survivors Club, Ike: Countdown to D-Day, Meltdown, North Shore, Battlestar Galactica, Justice Leage Unlimited, CSI: Miami, Jericho, The Batman, Eli Stone, The Unit, Criminal Minds, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Christmas Hope, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Ben 10: Alien Force, Numb3rs, The Vampire Diaries, Private Practice, Human Target, Hawaii Five-O, Young Justice, Pound Puppies, Hatfields & McCoys, The Legend of Korra, Grey’s Anatomy, Wilfred,  State of Affairs, NCIS: Los Angeles, Magnum P.I., Animal Kingdom, The Rookie, City on a Hill, Yellowstone, and Paul T. Goldman. Video game appearances include Killzone 3, Destiny, Destiny 2, and Destiny 2: The Witch Queen.

Personal Life: Married to Atsuko Itsuki since 1984. Has 2 children. Speaks conversational Japanese.

Later Life: Was fired from the cast of Aliens after being arrested for drug possession in 1985.

Trivia: Has done voice-overs for Lexus commercials since 2009.

              Mark Dindal came with the idea of Chicken Little in 2001 with its title character envisioned as a female protagonist who went to summer camp to reduce her anxiety as well as repair the relationship with her father. At the summer camp, she’d uncover a nefarious plot that her camp counselor was planning against her hometown. When Dindal pitched this idea to Michael Eisner, the latter suggested that Chicken Little be changed to a male because Dindal recalled, “if you’re a boy and you’re short, you get picked on.” Yet, popular market research wisdom at the time lives by the idea that girls would see movies with boy protagonists but boys won’t see one with a girl protagonist. Although I could argue otherwise with movies like Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, Gone with the Wind, Titanic, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and several more. In 2003, when David Stainton became Disney’s new president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, he decided that the story needed a different approach. Thus, it was rewritten as a boy trying to save his town from space aliens. To visualize the story, Disney selected 50% of its 2D animation staff to put them in a CGI animation team and placed them through a rigorous 18-month training program with George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic, which included an introduction to Alias’ Maya that would serve as the main 3D animation software used on the project. This was due to Eisner’s announcing that the studio would move to computer animation as a response to a downturn caused by rising competition from Pixar and Dreamworks as well as unsatisfactory box office performances during the early 2000s with the exception of Lilo & Stitch and Brother Bear. As some of the animators had worked on Dinosaur, the animators took inspiration for its staging, coloring, and theatrical lighting from Mary Blair’s background designs in Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. For aesthetics in background designs, the background layouts sparingly used digitally matte paintings to render out the naturalistic elements but they were retouched with Adobe Photoshop as background cards featured in the film. For characters’ designs and animation style, Disney sought to capture the “roundness” as seen in Disney animated works from the 1940s and 1950s. Chicken Little would be Disney’s first fully computer-animated film. Upon its 2005 release, it received mixed reviews from critics and $314 million at the box office. It also won the 2005 Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Animated Film. Today it holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 37%.

              Development for Cars began in 1998 after Pixar finished production with A Bug’s Life. At the time, Jorgen Klubien began writing a new script called The Yellow Car, a story about an electric car living in a gas-guzzling world inspired by The Ugly Duckling, an idea triggered by poor reception his countrymen gave to the Mini-El car. Although it was originally supposed to be the next Pixar film after A Bug’s Life, that idea was scrapped in favor of Toy Story 2. Later, production resumed with major script changes like giving Mater, Doc, and a few other characters bigger parts. John Lasseter said that inspiration for the film’s story came after he took a cross-country road trip with his wife and 5 sons in 2000. When he returned to the studio after his vacation, he contacted Route 66 historian Michael Wallis who led 11 Pixar animators in rented Cadillacs on 2 different roads across the route to research the film. For the cars, Lasseter visited the design studios of the Big 3 Detroit automakers, particularly J Mays of Ford Motor Company. There, he learned how real cars were designed. Unlike most anthropomorphic cars, the cars’ eyes were placed on the windshield rather than within the headlights. Upon its 2006 release, Cars opened to positive reviews and grossing $462 million at the box office. In this post, you’ll meet filmmakers Brad Lewis and Mark Dindal, actors Steve Zahn, Fred Willard, and Jenifer Lewis, as well as the voices behind Mama Heffalump, Foxy Loxy, Mater, Sheriff, and Sarge.

331. Brad Lewis

Dates: 1958-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Sacramento, California and raised in San Mateo. Moved to nearby San Carlos in 1991. Graduated from Fresno State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. Worked at Pacific Data Images for over 13 years where he served as executive Producer, Vice President of Production, and lead the expansion of the partnership with DreamWorks/SKG. Joined Pixar in 2001.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), and Cars 2 (2011)

Characters: Tubbs Pacer

Also Known For: Producer, director, writer, and politician. Has worked behind the scenes of The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), and Cars 2 (2011) as well as the short Your Friend the Rat. Non-Disney work includes Bushwhacked, Broken Arrow, The Arrival, A Simple Wish, The Peacemaker, Antz, Shrek, Forces of Nature, Ponyo, Storks, The Lego Batman Movie, and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. TV work includes The Last Halloween and The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror VI.

Personal Life: Married to Andrea McCarthy. They have a son named Jackson and a daughter named Ellen Dale.

Later Life: Served 5 years on the San Carlos Parks & Recreation Commission before being elected to the city’s council in 2005. Was elected vice-mayor in 2006 and mayor in 2007. Also served on the San Carlos City Council in 2010. Joined Digital Domain in 2011 at their Tradition Studios division in Florida where he was to direct animated features. After Digital Domain’s bankruptcy filing as well as and the shutdown and layoffs at Tradition Studios, Lewis joined Warner Bros. as a producer. Has recently returned to Dreamworks. Lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Trivia: Has won 2 Emmys.

332. Brenda Blethyn

Dates: 1946-present

Early Life and Career: Born Brenda Bottle in Ramsgate, Kent in England as the youngest of 9 children in a working-class Roman Catholic family. Parents met while servants in the same great house. Mother was a former maid. Father was a shepherd, Royal Field Artillery soldier stationed in India for 6 years, chauffer, and car factory mechanic. By the time she was born, her 3 eldest siblings had already left home. Parents introduced Blethyn to film with weekly outings to the movies. Trained at a technical college to work as a stenographer and bookkeeper for a bank as a young adult. However, towards the end of her first marriage, Blethlyn opted to turn her hobby of amateur dramatics to her professional advantage. After studying at the Guildford School of Acting, Blethlyn went onto the London stage in 1976, performing several seasons with the Royal National Theatre. After winning the London Critics’ Circle Theatre Award in 1980, Blethlyn made her screen debut. Made her film debut in 1990.

Movies and Cartoons: Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005) and the direct-to-video Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too.

Characters: Mama Heffalump

Also Known For: British actress known for her character work and versatility. Film appearances include The Witches, A River Runs Through It, Secrets & Lies, Girls’ Night, Music From Another Room, Night Train, Saving Grace, Sonny, Plots with a View, The Wild Thornberrys Movie, The Sleeping Dictionary, Blizzard, Piccadilly Jim, Beyond the Sea, Way of Life, Belonging, On a Clear Day, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Clubland, Atonement, The Calling, Dead Man Running, My Angel, Two Men in Town, and Ethel & Ernest. TV appearances include Grown-Ups, Play for Today, Yes, Minister, King Lear, Death of an Expert Witness, Rumpole at the Bailey, The Fist Part of Henry the Sixth, Weekend Playhouse, Chance in a Million, That Uncertain Feeling, The Play on One, The Labours of Erica, All Good Things, The Buddha of Suburbia, Outside Edge, Anne Frank: The Whole Story, Between the Sheets, War and Peace, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Vera, Playhouse Presents, and Kate & Koji. Stage appearances include Tamburlaine, Bedroom Farce, Steaming, Crimes of the Heart, Benefactors, Dalliance, A Doll’s House, Born Yesterday, Absent Friends, An Ideal Husband, Habeas Corpus, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, and The Glass Menagerie.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was graphic designer Alan James Blethyn from 1964 to their divorce in 1973. Second and current husband is art director Michael Mayhew whom she’s been with since 1975 but they’ve only been married since 2010.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has won a BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Cannes Film Festival Award. Has received 2 Academy Award and 2 Primetime Emmy nominations. Was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2003.

333. Steve Zahn

Dates: 1967-present

Early Life and Career: Born Steven James Zahn in Marshall, Minnesota. Father was a Lutheran minister. Mother was a bookstore clerk and YMCA administrator. Spent part of his childhood in Mankato, where he attended Kennedy Elementary School but moved to the suburbs of Minneapolis for high school. Graduated from Robinsondale Cooper High School in New Hope in 1986, planning to eventually join the US Marine Corps. Attended Gustavus Adolphus College but dropped out after seeing the original West End production of Les Miserables. Later enrolled in the Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard, earning a Master of Fine Arts. Made his professional debut in a Minnesota production of Biloxi Blues after falsely claiming membership of the Actors’ Equity. After Zahn’s fellow actors suggested he study acting, he enrolled in the American Repertory Theater’s 2-year training program. In 1991, Zahn formed the Malaparte theater company with fellow actors Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard, Made his film debut in 1994.

Movies and Cartoons: Chicken Little (2005) and The Good Dinosaur (2015) as well as the Chicken Little video game and the series Phineas and Ferb.

Characters: Runt of the Litter and Thnderclap

Also Known For: Actor best known as Davis McAlary in Treme, Cobi in Mad Dogs, Jude Ellis in The Crossing, and Mark Mossbacher in The White Lotus. Film appearances include That Thing You Do!, Happy, Texas, Joy Ride, National Security, A Perfect Getaway, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Reality Bites, Out of Sight, Forces of Nature, Employee of the Month, Riding in Cars with Boys, Sahara (2005), Rescue Dawn, Dallas Buyers Club, Captain Fantastic, War for the Planet of the Apes, Rain Without Thunder, Crimson Tide, The Object of My Affection, Out of Sight, You’ve Got Mail, Forces of Nature, Stuart Little, Hamlet (2000), Dr. Doolittle 2, Saving Silverman, Daddy Day Care, Shattered Glass, Speak, The Great Buck Howard, Strange Wilderness, Sunshine Cleaning, Night Train, Escape from Planet Earth, The Ridiculous 6, Where’d You Go, Bernardette, Tall Girl, Uncle Frank, 8-Bit Christmas, Night at the Museum: Kuhmunrah Rises Again, Your Place or Mine, LeRoy, Texas, and Wildcat. TV appearances include All My Children, Friends, Liberty! The American Revolution, From the Earth to the Moon, Comanche Moon, Monk, WWII in HD, Mind Games, Modern Family, Valley of the Boom, The Healing Powers of Dude, The Good Lord Bird, The Last Movie Stars, George & Tammy, The Righteous Gemstones, and Silo.

Personal Life: Son-in-law of clothier J. Peterman. Married to author and theater artist Robyn Peterman since 1994. Have 2 children. Has a 36-acre farm outside Lexington, Kentucky where he gardens and raises horses, goats, and sheep. He and his wife also run a local community theater where Zahn occasionally performs. In addition, he has a cabin near Pine City, Minnesota where he enjoys tubing and fishing with his kids.

Later Life: Is still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Is a major military history buff whose biggest regret was turning down a role in Band of Brothers. Was awarded an honorary Ph.D. from Northern Kentucky University in 2007.

334. Amy Sedaris

Dates: 1961-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Endicott, New York as the fourth of 6 children. Father was an IBM engineer and the son of Greek immigrants. Paternal grandmother spoke no English and had a shoe shining store in New York. Family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina when she was 4. During her childhood, Sedaris liked playing dress-up and putting on plays for her family. She’d also often assume characters to play pranks on them as well. During her first job at the local Winn-Dixie supermarket, she’d fake announcements over the loudspeaker as well as worked at a local women’s prison. Attended Jesse O. Sanderson High School and was a Girl Scout until she graduated. At 20, Sedaris and her mother worked together making and selling spanakopita. During that time, she dated a man from Greece whom she found unconscious on her kitchen floor from a brain aneurysm after she returned home. She spent the next 3 years caring for him until they eventually broke up. Later, she moved to Chicago with her brother David as well as took classes at Second City and Annoyance Theatre while working as a waitress at the Zanies Comedy Club. In the late 1980s, Sedaris was hired to perform with Second City’s touring company where she met Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert. She then left Second City in 1993 and moved to New York where she made her TV debut in the sketch series Exit 57.

Movies and Cartoons: Chicken Little (2005) as well as the live-action version of The Lion King, the Chicken Little video game, and the series Duck Tales and Doc McStuffins.

Characters: Foxy Loxy

Also Known For: Actress, comedian, and writer best known as Jerri Blank in Strangers with Candy, Hurshe Heartshe in The Heart, She Holler, Princess Carolyn in BoJack Horseman, Mimi Kanasis in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Peli Motto in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Film appearances include Maid in Manhattan, School of Rock, Elf, Bewitched, Shrek the Third, Jennifer’s Body, Puss in Boots, Chef, Ghost Team, Handsome, The Boss Baby: Family Business, Commandments, Jump Tomorrow, My Baby’s Daddy, Romance & Cigarettes, Stay, Full Grown Men, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, Snow Angels, Dedication, Dance Flick, Old Dogs, Beware the Gonzo, The Best and the Brightest, Ping Pong Summer, Goodbye to All That, Hits, Save Yourselves, Clerks III, Theater Camp, Somebody I Used to Know, Ghosted, and No Time to Spy: A Loud House Movie. TV appearances include Exit 57, Just Shoot Me!, Late Show with David Letterman, Sex and the City, Monk, Ed, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Wonder Showzen, Sesame Street, My Name Is Earl, The Colbert Report, Rescue Me, You Gabba Gabba!, The Closer, The New Adventures of Old Christine, American Dad!, The Middle, The Problem Solverz, Royal Pains, Raising Hope, The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Fun Time Hour, Bob’s Burgers, SpongeBob SquarePants, Hot in Cleveland, The Good Wife, 30 Rock, Alpha House, Mr. Pickles, Broad City, Kevin from Work, Horace and Pete, Adventure Time, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Steven Universe, Match Game, At Home with Amy Sedaris, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, You’re Not a Monster, Bubble Guppies, F Is for Family, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Robot Chicken, Dicktown, Girls5eva, Harley Quinn, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Life & Beth, Fantasmas, Grimsburg, Mulligan, The Tiny Chef, The Simpsons, Frasier, and Doctor Odyssey. Stage appearances include The Country Club, Wonder of the World, Wigfield, and Gutenberg! The Musical!.

Personal Life: Younger sister of author David Sedaris and a lot of the details Wikipedia lists of her early life are mostly according to him. Her younger sister Tiffany committed suicide in 2013. Was in a relationship with Paul Dinello from 1987 to 1994. Yet, they have remained friends after their breakup and is godfather to 2 of Dinello’s kids.

Later Life: Has run a cupcake and cheeseball business called Dusty Food Cupcakes out of her home kitchen, which she named after her pet rabbit. Currently lives in Greenwich Village in New York City. Co-authored a text-and-picture book with Dinello and Colbert called Wigfield. Has contributed articles to The Believer magazine since 2005. Has also written a couple books about entertaining and crafts as well as co-authored several plays with her brother David.

Trivia: Has won a Writers Guild of America Award for her variety sketch series. Was nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Appeared in an anti-fur ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that read, “When you wear fur, people laugh at you, not with you.” Was emcee at Microsoft’s annual employee meeting in Seattle in 2010.

335. Fred Willard

Dates: 1933-2020

Early Life and Career: Born Frederick Charles Willard Jr. in Cleveland, Ohio. Raised in Shaker Heights. Father died when he was 12. Graduated from the Kentucky Military Institute in 1951 and the Virginia Military Institute in 1955. Was stationed in Germany while serving in the US Army. Stage career began when Willard moved to New York City during the late 1950s with initial work included a production of The Desperate Hours at the local YMCA where he worked with future comedy partner Vic Grecco. Under the name Willard & Grecco, the pair performed in the Greenwich Village area, found some success touring, and appeared on The Dean Martin Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and The Tonight Show.  They were offered roles on Get Smart and The Carol Burnett Show but the offers fell through due to poor management. Willard and Grecco later parted ways in 1968. Made film debut in 1967 with Teenage Mother. One of Willard’s earliest stage performances was with Second City in Chicago with Robert Klein and David Steinberg. Was also a founding member of the improvisational group Ace Trucking Company who performed on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson over 50 times.

Movies and Cartoons: Chicken Little (2005), WALL-E (2008), and Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014) as well as various series.

Characters: Melvin, Shelby Forthright, and the Secretary of the Interior

Also Known For: Actor and comedian best known for his performances in Christopher Guest films. Film appearances include This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, For Your Consideration, Mascots, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, American Wedding, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Teenage Mother, Model Shop, Jenny, Dynamite Summer, The Harrad Experiment, Hustle, Silver Streak, Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), Cracking Up, First Family, National Lampoon’s Movie Madness, Roxanne, Moving Violations, High Strung, Permanent Midnight, Can’t Stop Dancing, Idle Hands, Chump Change, The Wedding Planner, Teddy Bears’ Picnic, How High, Killer Diller, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, Love Wrecked, Date Movie, Church Ball, Monster House, Ira & Abby, Epic Movie, Harold, Youth in Revolt, The Magic of Belle Isle, Max Rose, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, The Yank, and Fifty Shades of Black. TV appearances include Everybody Loves Raymond, Modern Family, Get Smart, Premiere, The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, Sirota’s Court, Fernwood 2 Night, Saturday Night Live, Salem’s Lot, Real People, The Love Boat, SCTV Network, Mama’s Family, Trapper John M.D., The History of White People in America, Getting the Last Laugh, George Burns Comedy Week, Faerie Tale Theatre, Fast Times, The Golden Girls, Married…with Children, Dream On, Family Matters, Dave’s World, Murphy Brown, Roseanne, Friends, Clueless, Sister, Sister, The Spootacular New Adventures of Casper, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Muppets Tonight, Diagnosis: Murder, The Weird Al Show, The Wayans Bros., Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Two Guys and a Girl, Mad About You, The Simpsons, Just Shoot Me!, Love & Money, The Hughleys, Ally McBeal, Undeclared, Girlfriends, King of the Hill, Hey Arnold!, Dexter’s Laboratory, Family Guy, Teamo Supremo, That ‘70s Show, Mad TV, The Drew Carey Show, The Batman, The Grim Adventures of Bill & Mandy, Re-Animated, Squirrel Boy, Come on Over, Stargate SG-1, Odd Job Jack, Back to You, Betsy’s Kindergarten Adventures, Pushing Daisies, Transformers Animated, Worst Week, The Boondocks, Free Radio, Everybody Hates Chris, Castle, Important Things with Demetri Martin, Chuck, Funny or Die Presents, The Closer, G. I. Joe: Renegades, Raising Hope, Market Warriors, Hot in Cleveland, The Cleveland Show, Community, Family Tree, Drunk History, Black Jesus, The Birthday Boys, Review, The Bold and the Beautiful, TripTank, Hell’s Kitchen, Celebrity Family Feud, The Loud House, The $100,000 Pyramid, The Odd Couple, New Girl, Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Stories, Milo Murphy’s Law, Corporate, Skylanders Academy, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Historical Roasts, The Bachelorette, The Bachelor, and Space Force.

Personal Life: Married to Mary Lovell from 1947 to her death in 2018. Has a daughter and a grandson.

Later Life: In 2012, Willard was arrested to what I refer to as pulling a Pee-Wee Herman at a porn theater on Santa Monica Boulevard and brought to the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood station. Of course, given what porn movies are supposed to encourage when one watches them, there was no proof of any misconduct and no charges were filed. Still, it was enough for PBS to fire him from Market Warriors following Willard’s arrest and replace him with Antiques Roadshow host Mark L. Wahlberg. While Willard was required to take a sex education diversion program. Died at his Los Angeles home in 2020 at 86. Cause of death was reported as cardiac arrest, with coronary artery disease and myelodysplastic syndrome as contributing factors. Buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Trivia: Has received several Emmy Award nominations.

336. Mark Dindal

Dates: 1960-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Columbus, Ohio. Growing up, Dindal was influenced by Disney movies and Warner Bros. Saturday cartoons. Cites one of his influences as The Sword in the Stone (1963) which his grandmother took him to see when he was 3. His father also took art as a hobby and taught Dindal to draw while growing up in Syracuse, New York. Attended Jamesville-DeWitt High School where he attended most of the art classes the school had to offer as well as made comic strips and short films. Learned animation at CalArts and began working at Disney in 1980.

Movies and Cartoons: Chicken Little (2005)

Characters: Morkubine Porcupine and The Coach

Also Known For: Filmmaker, animator, and voice actor best known for his work at Disney. Has worked behind the scenes of The Fox and the Hound (1981), The Black Cauldron (1985), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Oliver and Company (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Aladdin (1992), The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), and Chicken Little (2005) as well as the direct-to-video Kronk’s New Groove along with several series and specials. Was involved in non-Disney projects such as The Brave Little Toaster, Pinocchio and the Emperor of Night, The Rocketeer, Tom and Jerry: The Movie, Happily Ever After, Cats Don’t Dance, Wonder Park, and The Garfield Movie.

Personal Life: Married to Samie Maeda since 1981. Has 2 children.

Later Life: Left Disney for good in 2006 since he was tired of dealing with then-WDFA head David Stainton. Has now worked for other studios lately such as Dream Works and Sony Pictures.

Trivia: Has won an Annie for Cats Don’t Dance.

337. Larry the Cable Guy

Dates: 1963-present

Early Life and Career: Born Daniel Lawrence Whitney in Pawnee City, Nebraska. Father was a non-denominational Christian minister. Family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida when he was 16. Attended high school at The King’s Academy where his father was the elementary school principal from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. But he graduated from Berean Christian School in 1982 where he played football. Whitney went to college at Baptist University of America in Georgia and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where he majored in drama and speech. Credits his roommates from Texas and Georgia for inspiring his Southern accent impression. However, Whitney dropped out during his junior year after trying his hand at comedy. Started his career in the early 1990s when he made appearances on the nationally syndicated radio program The Ron and Ron Show as well as others such as The Bob and Tom Show on WPDH, The Todd and Tyler Radio Empire on KEZO in Omaha, Nebraska, and The Johnny Dare Morning Show on KQRC in Kansas City, Missouri. Initially performing stand up under his real name with limited success, Whitney became famous after developing the Larry the Cable Guy, a personality he now maintains throughout his stage act. This character has a stereotypical redneck appearance and thick Southern accent who recounts stories about his “family” and uses among other common expressions, his own catchphrase “Git-R-Done.” Often turns his accent on and off stage because he may forget it if he kept his normal accent intact.

Movies and Cartoons: Cars (2006), Cars 2 (2011), and Cars 3 (2017) as well as a few series of short films, the short Mater and the Ghostlight, a few theme park attractions, and several video games.

Characters: Mater

Also Known For: Stand-up comedian, actor, and radio personality who was one of the members of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Has also released 7 comedy albums, 2 of which been certified platinum and one of which has been certified gold by the RIAA. Film appearances include Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, Delta Farce, Witless Protection, Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie, Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again, Tooth Fairy 2, and A Madea Christmas. TV appearances include Blue Collar TV, Are You Smarter Than a 5^th Grader?, The Comedy Central Roast of Larry the Cabel Guy, Bounty Hunters, The Masked Singer, and Yellowstone. Albums include Lord, I Apologize, A Very Larry Christmas, The Right to Bare Arms, Morning Constitutions, Christmastime in Larryland, and Tailgate Party.

Personal Life: Has been married to his wife Cara since 2005. They have a son named Wyatt and a daughter named Reagan,

Later Life: Currently resides in Lincoln, Nebraska on a 180-acre farm. Established the Git-R-Done Foundation in 2009 to provide assistance to those that have experienced hardships beyond their control. Donated $5 million to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida. The gift was for further development of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute at the Orlando Hospital, where Dr. Chad Price cured his son Wyatt of the condition when he was a baby. Currently works as a radio personality for Sirius XM’s Jeff & Larry’s Comedy Roundup channel.

Trivia: Pawnee City, Nebraska has a street named after him. Has been nominated for 2 Grammys and several Razzie Awards.

338. Michael Wallis

Dates: 1945-present

Early Life and Career: Born in St. Louis, Missouri. Graduated from Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois. Attended the University of Missouri in Columbia and later moved to Miami, Florida in 1978 where he worked for Time’s Caribbean Bureau.

Movies and Cartoons: Cars (2006), Cars 2 (2011), and Cars 3 (2017) as well as the short Mater and the Ghostlight, the Cars Toons series, several video games, and the Radiator Springs Racers theme park attraction.

Characters: Sheriff

Also Known For: Journalist, popular historian, author, and speaker who’s written 17 books, including Route 66: The Mother Road. Work has been published extensively in magazines and newspapers such as Time, Life, People, Smithsonian, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. Books include The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny, David Crockett: The Lion of the West, The Wild West: 365 Days, Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride, The Lincoln Highway: Coast to Coast from Times Square to the Golden Gate, Way Down Yonder in the Indian Nation, Oil Man: The Story Of Frank Phillips & The Birth Of Phillips Petroleum, Mankiller: A Chief and Her People, and Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd.

Personal Life: Currently lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife Suzanne Fitzgerald.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has received the John Steinbeck Award and the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book. Has received the Will Rogers Spirit Award and the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall & Western Heritage Museum. Has been inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the Writers Hall of Fame. Was the first inductee to the Oklahoma Route 66 Hall of Fame.

339. Paul Dooley

Dates: 1928-present

Early Life and Career: Born Paul Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Father was a factory worker. Said that Parkersburg had few attractions that interested him since there weren’t many cultural opportunities. Enjoyed listening to comedians on the radio, particularly Jimmy Durante. In high school, he often performed at fairs as a clown named Dooley and would legally change his surname in the mid-1950s to match his clown persona. Since there already was a Broadway actor named Paul Brown. Dooley was also a cartoonist in his youth and drew a strip for a local Parkersburg newspaper. Joined the US Navy in 1946 and served for 2 years before returning home and graduating from West Viriginia University in 1952. Afterwards, Dooley moved to New York City to try his luck in the entertainment industry. Initially found work as a clown at children’s birthday parties before his stage debut got him discovered by director Mike Nichols who casted him in The Odd Couple on Broadway. Although Dooley initially appeared as one of Oscar Madison’s poker friends, he’d later take over the role of Felix Unger after Art Carney left the show. Walter Matthau also referred Dooley to the William Morris Agency during this time as well. In addition to working on Broadway, Dooley was a stand-up comedian for 5 years, eventually landing on The Tonight Show as well as a member of the Compass Players and The Second City troupe in New York alongside Alan Arkin and Alan Alda. Later on, Dooley would be one of the head writers of The Electric Company on recommendation by Carl Reiner where he created Easy Reader, a role that launched Morgan Freeman’s career. He also helped form a company called All Over Creation to create commercials for radio and TV, which produced about 500 commercials and 1,000 radio spots. A character named Paul the Gorilla that appeared in their commercials was named after him.

Movies and Cartoons: Cars (2006), Cars 2 (2011), and Cars 3 (2017) as well as several video games and the Radiator Springs Racer theme park attraction.

Characters: Sarge

Also Known For: Character actor best known for co-creating The Electric Company as well as for his roles in various Christopher Guest mockumentaries. Film appearances include Breaking Away, Popeye, Strange Brew, Sixteen Candles, The Out-of-Towners (1970), Up the Sandbox, Death Wish, Slap Shot, Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure, A Wedding, A Perfect Couple, Kiss Me Goodbye, O. C. and Stiggs, Going Berserk, Monster in the Closet, Big Trouble, Last Rites, Lip Service, Flashback, White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd, Shakes the Clown, The Player, A Dangerous Woman, Waiting for Guffman, Clockwatchers, Telling Lies in America, Guinevere, Runaway Bride, Insomnia, A Mighty Wind, Employee of the Month, Madison, Come Away Home, For Your Consideration, Hairspray (2007), Sunshine Cleaning, Bedtime Stories, Turbo, Other People, and Selfie Dad. TV appearances include Get Smart, Bewitched, The Night the Animals Talked, Sesame Street, Captain Kangaroo, American Playhouse, Faerie Tale Theatre, CBS Schoolbreak Special, Tales from the Darkside, The Golden Girls, ALF, The Murder of Mary Phagan, Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North, When He’s Not a Stranger, Thirtysomething, The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson, Coach, Sunday Dinner, Square One Television, The Wonder Years, Batman: The Animated Series, Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride, Mad About You, Dream On, Tales of the City, Tales from the Crypt, L.A. Law, Chicago Hope, My So-Called Life, Grace Under Fire, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, ER, Ellen, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Tracey Takes On…, Dharma & Greg, The Practice, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ally McBeal, Providence, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Becker, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Desperate Housewives, 7^th Heaven, Boston Legal, Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs, Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union, Private Practice, Hot in Cleveland, Criminal Minds, Major Crimes, Parenthood, Childrens Hospital, Workaholics, The Good Doctor, Shameless, The Kids Are Alright, Life in Pieces, and Modern Family.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Donna Lee Wasser from 1958 until their divorce. They had 3 children. Second and current wife is playwright, actress, screenwriter, and producer Winnie Holzman since 1984. They have a daughter named Savannah who’s a screenwriter and TV producer.

Later Life: Lives in Toluca Lake in Los Angeles. Published his memoir Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On Screen and Off in 2022.

Trivia: None.

340. Jenifer Lewis

Dates: 1957-present

Early Life and Career: Born in the St. Louis suburb of Kinloch, Missouri as the youngest of 7 children. Mother was a nurse’s aide. Father was a factory worker. Sang in the church choir at 5. Attended Kinloch High School and Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri. Moved to New York after college. Soon after arriving, Lewis debuted on Broadway in 1979. After being passed over for the role of Effie White in the Broadway version of Dreamgirls, Lewis became a Harlette, one of Bette Midler’s backup singers. Moved to Los Angeles during the early 1990s.

Movies and Cartoons: Cars (2006), The Princess and the Frog (2008), Cars 2 (2011), and Cars 3 (2017) as well as various series, a few video games, and a few theme park attractions.

Characters: Flo and Mama Odie

Also Known For: Actress known unofficially as “The Mother of Black Hollywood” due to playing mothers in many of her film and television appearances. Best known roles are Lana Hawkins in Strong Medicine and Ruby Johnson in Black-ish. Film appearances include Beaches, Sister Act, What’s Love Got to Do with It, Poetic Justice, The Preacher’s Wife, The Brothers, The Cookout, Think Like a Man, Think Like a Man Too, Baggage Claim, The Wedding Ringer, Dead Presidents, Cast Away, Hereafter, Red Heat, Frozen Assets, The Meteor Man, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Renaissance Man, Girl 6, The Mighty, Blast from the Past, Mystery Men, Get Bruce, Dancing in September, Nora’s Hair Salon, Shark Tale, Dirty Laundry, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, Not Easily Broken, Zambezia, Secrets of the Magic City, The Addams Family, and Spellbound (2024). TV appearances include The Temptations, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Girlfriends, A Different World, Murphy Brown, Dream On, In Living Color, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Friends, Living Single, Cosby, Touched by an Angel, Promised Land, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, The Parent ‘Hood, For Your Love, The Jamie Foxx Show, Moesha, Grown Ups, Time of Your Life, Boston Legal, Meet the Browns, The Cleveland Show, American Dad!, Five, The Boondocks, Young Justice, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Rugrats, Grown-ish, Central Park, The Upshaws, Princess Power, Night Court, So Help Me Todd, The Masked Singer, and Not Dead Yet.

Personal Life: Has been engaged 4 times but never married. Adopted a daughter named Charmaine. Was defrauded by a romance-scheme con man in 2015. Was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1990, which she initially felt ashamed about but eventually came to embrace it after 17 years of therapy and 10 years of medication.

Later Life: In 2022, Lewis sustained life-threatening injuries after falling 10 feet from her hotel balcony in Serengeti. Fortunately, she was airlifted to Nairobi where she underwent a 9-hour surgery followed by a 6-day ICU stay.

Trivia: Has had 2 Critics’ Choice Award nominations. Received an honorary degree from Webster University in 2015. Was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022. Received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 2024.

              Filmmaker Brad Bird came up with the idea of The Incredibles as a concept back in 1993 when he sketched the family during an uncertain point in his career. Personal issues have percolated into a story as they weighed on him in life. During this time, Bird had signed a production deal with Warner Bros. and  was in the process of directing his first feature film, The Iron Giant. Approaching middle age and having high aspirations for his filmmaking, Bird wondered whether his career goals were attainable only at the price of his family life. He stated: “Consciously, this was just a funny movie about superheroes. But I think that what was going on in my life definitely filtered into the movie.” After The Iron Giant flopped at the box office, Bird gravitated toward his superhero story. Imagining it as a homage to the 1960s comic books and spy films from his childhood, Bird initially tried to develop it as a 2D cel animation. Yet, after The Iron Giant bombed, Bird reconnected with his old CalArts classmate John Lasseter in March 2000 and pitched his story idea to him. Lasseter was sold and convinced Bird to come to Pixar, where the film would be made with computer animation. The studio announced a multi-film contract with him that May. While most animated feature films at Disney and Pixar usually have multiple directors and screenwriters, The Incredibles was written and directed solely by Bird. In addition, it would be the first Pixar film with an all-human cast. Nonetheless, Bird came up with the lineup of the story’s family members lined-up: a super-strong dad going through a mid-life crisis, a stretchy mom, a shy teenager who can turn invisible and turn on forcefields and shields, a cocky and super-fast 10-year-old boy, and a super-powered baby guaranteed to make any teenage babysitting gig a living hell. Syndrome was originally written as a minor character who was supposed to die when the Parrs’ house explodes. But he was later made the main antagonist more than the originally intended character to fill that role. And interestingly enough, a character Bird based on himself.

              Because of its all-human cast, The Incredibles would be Pixar’s most complex film given how Bird’s story was filled with elements difficult to animate with CGI back then. Humans are widely considered to the most difficult things to execute in animation. Pixar’s animators filmed themselves walking to better grasp proper human motion. It also required creating new technology to animate detailed human anatomy, clothing, and realistic skin color. Although the technical team had some experience with animating hair and cloth in Monsters, Inc., the amount of hair and cloth required had ever been done by Pixar up to this point. Didn’t help that Bird wouldn’t tolerate compromises for the sake of technical simplicity. In addition, animators had to adapt having hair both underwater and blowing through the wind. Disney was initially reluctant to make the film due to these issues. The story was bigger than any previous film, had a longer running time, and had quadruple the number of locations. New technical challenges included animating fire, water, air, smoke, steam, and explosions. There were at least 781 visual effects shots in the film, and they were quite often visual gags, such as window shattering when Bob angrily shuts the car door. Upon its release in 2004, The Incredibles earned widespread critical acclaim, 2 Academy Awards, and $632 million at the box office. It was also the first entirely animated film to win the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. In this post, we’ll meet the voice behind one more character from Home on the Range as well as filmmakers Bud Luckey, Brad Bird, Lou Romano, and Peter Sohn, and the voices behind Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Syndrome, and Mirage.

321.  Dennis Weaver

Dates: 1924-2006

Early Life and Career: Born Billy Dennis Weaver in Joplin, Missouri. Wanted to be an actor from childhood. Lived in Shreveport, Louisiana for several years and for a short time in Manteca, California. Studied at Joplin Junior College, then transferred to University of Oklahoma at Norman, where he studied drama and was a track star, setting records in several events. During World War II, he served as a pilot for the US Navy, flying a Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter aircraft. After the war, he tried out for the 1948 US Olympic team in the decathlon, finishing sixth behind 17-year-old high school track star Bob Mathias. However, only 3 finishers were selected. Weaver later commented, “I did so poorly [in the Olympic Trials], I decided to … stay in New York and try acting.” First role on Broadway came as an understudy to Lonny Chapman as Turk Fisher in Come Back, Little Sheba and eventually took over the role from Chapman in a national touring company. Solidifying his choice as an actor, Weaver enrolled in the Actors Studio, where he met Shelley Winters. In the early days of his acting career, Weaver supported his family by doing odd jobs, including selling vacuum cleaners, tricycles, and women’s hosiery. In 1952, Winters helped him get a contract for Universal Studios and he made his film debut the same year.

Movies and Cartoons: Home on the Range (2004) as well as Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

Characters: Abner Dixon

Also Known For: Actor and onetime president of the Screen Actors Guild who’s best known for his work in television and films from the 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Best known as Deputy Chester Goode in Gunsmoke, Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud in McCloud, and the twitchy motel attendant in Touch of Evil. Film appearances include Horizons West, The Raiders, The Redhead from Wyoming, The Lawless Breed, The Mississippi Gambler, It Happens Every Thursday, Law and Order, Column South, The Man from the Alamo, The Golden Blade, The Nebraskan, War Arrow, Dangerous Mission, Dragnet, The Bridges at Tokyo-Ri, Ten Wanted Men, Seven Angry Men, Chief Crazy Horse, Storm Fear, Navy Wife, The Gallant Hours, Duel at Diablo, Gentle Giant, A Man Called Sledge, What’s the Matter with Helen?, and Two Bits & Pepper. TV appearances include Cavalcade of America, Dragnet, The Lone Ranger, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Playhouse 90, Have Gun – Will Travel, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Kentucky Jones, Dr. Kildare, Gentle Ben, That Girl, The Virginian, Duel, Rolling Man, The Great Man’s Whiskers, Centennial, Pearl, Ishi: The Last  of His Tribe, Police Story, The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd, Emerald Point N.A.S., Cocaine: One Man’s Seduction, Magnum P.I., Buck James, Disaster at Silo 7, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, The Simpsons, Touched by an Angel, and Wildfire.

Personal Life: Married to his high school sweetheart Gerry Stowell from 1945 until his death. Had 3 sons named Richard, Robert, and Rustin. Was a vegetarian from 1958 for ethical reasons but occasionally ate fish. In the late 1980s, Weaver commissioned architect Michael Reynolds to design and construct a new residence at his Ridgway, Colorado property that that incorporated various recycled materials in its construction such as old car tires and discarded cans as well as featured solar panels and other ecotechnologies. He called his home Earthship. He and his family lived there until 2004. Lost his daughter-in-law Ann when a car driven at high speed plowed through shoppers at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. She was among the 10 people killed in the incident.

Later Life: Weaver was an environmentalist who promoted alternative fuels such as hydrogen and wind power, through the Institute of Ecolomics, a non-profit environmental organization he established in 1993 in Berthoud, Colorado. Was also involved with John Denver’s WindStar Foundation as well as founded an organization called L.I.F.E. (Love Is Feeding Everyone) which provided food for 150,000 people in Los Angeles every week. In 2004, Weaver led a fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles across the United States to raise awareness about America’s dependence on oil. Was also involved in the Genesis Awards, which honor those in entertainment media who bring attention to the plight and suffering of animals. Died from prostate cancer in 2006 at his Ridgway, Colorado home at 81.

Trivia: None.

322. Craig T. Nelson

Dates: 1944-present

Early Life and Career: Born Craig Theodore Nelson in Spokane, Washington. Mother was a dancer. Father was a businessman. Attended Lewis and Clark High School where he played football, baseball, and basketball. After graduation, he studied at Central Washington University. After flunking out, Nelson went to Yakima Valley College where his teacher Mr. Brady inspired him to study acting and from there, he went on to study drama at the University of Arizona on a scholarship. In 1969, Nelson dropped out of school and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. When he first moved to California, he took a job as a security guard at a soap factory until finding work as a comedy writer. Began his show business career as a comedy writer. Was an early member of The Groundlings improv and sketch comedy troupe. Soon Nelson, Barry Levinson, and Rudy DeLuca formed their own comedy team and were regular performers at The Comedy Store and the short-lived The Tim Conway Comedy Hour. In 1973, Nelson left the comedy world, explaining “the standup comedy life was pretty unfulfilling for me” and settled in Montgomery Creek, California where he had no electricity and no running water. Had different jobs during this time including janitor, plumber, carpenter, surveyor, and high school teacher in Burney, California. He returned to acting 5 years later with …And Justice for All.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018) as well as various video games and The Incredicoaster theme park attraction.

Characters: Mr. Incredible/Bob Parr

Also Known For: Actor best known as Hayden Fox in Coach, Deputy Warden Ward Wilson in Stir Crazy, Steve Freeling in Poltergeist, Burt Nickerson in All the Right Moves, Peter Dellaplane in Action Jackson, Chief Howard Hyde in Turner & Hooch, Alex Cullen in The Devil’s Advocate, Chief Jack Mannion in The District, The Warden in My Name Is Earl, Zeek Braverman in Parenthood, and Dale Ballard in Young Sheldon and George and Mandy’s First Marriage. Film appearances include …And Justice for All, Where the Buffalo Roam, Private Benjamin, Silkwood, The Killing Fields, Rachel River, Red Riding Hood, Ghosts of Mississippi, Wag the Dog, The Family Stone, Blades of Glory, The Proposal, The Company Men, Soul Surfer, Get Hard, Book Club, and Green and Gold. TV appearances include The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman, WKRP in Cincinnati, Chicago Story, Call to Glory, The Josephine Baker Story, The Fire Next Time, If These Walls Could Talk, The Huntress, CSI: NY, Monk, Hawaii Five-O, Grace and Frankie, and Pupstruction.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Robin McCarthy from 1965 until their divorce in 1978. They have 3 children. Second wife is Doria Cook since 1987. Cook is a freelance writer, president of a martial arts association, karate instructor, tai chi teacher, and former actress who had a featured role in the movie musical Mame. Struggled with alcohol and substance addiction early in his career. Ex father-in-law of actress Ashley Jones.

Later Life: A lifelong Green Bay Packers fan, Nelson sang the National Anthem at one of their games in January 2025.

Trivia: Has won a Primetime Emmy for his role in Coach. Is a motorsports fan and avid racer and co-founded Screaming Eagles Racing in 1993.

323. Holly Hunter

Dates: 1958-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Conyers, Georgia as the youngest of 6. Father was a part-time sporting goods representative and farmer of a 250-acre farm. Parents encouraged Hunter’s talent at an early age and her first role was that of Helen Keller in a fifth-grade play. Is unable to hear in her left ear due to a childhood case of the mumps, which has led to complications at work and some movie scenes have to be altered from the script so she can use her right ear. Began acting at Rockdale County High School during the early 1970s, performing in local productions of Oklahoma!, Man of La Mancha, and Fiddler on the Roof. Earned a degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and for a while, performed in local theater, performing ingenue roles at City Theater, then named the City Players. Later moved to New York City and roomed with fellow actress Frances McDormand, living in the Bronx, “at the end of the D (subway) train, just off 205th Street, on Bainbridge Avenue and Hull Avenue.” A chance encounter with playwright Beth Henley and appeared her plays such as the Broadway Crimes of the Heart and the Off-Broadway The Miss Firecracker Contest. Made her film debut in the 1981 slasher film The Burning.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018) as well as various video games and the Incredicoaster theme park attraction.

Characters: Elastigirl/Helen Parr

Also Known For: Actress best known for her performance as a mute Scottish woman in The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Film appearances include Broadcast News, The Firm, Thirteen, Raising Arizona, Always, Home for the Holidays, Copycat, Crash (1996), O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Big Sick, The Burning, Swing Shift, Blood Simple, A Life Less Ordinary, Woman Wanted, Festival in Cannes, Searching for Debra Winger, Moonlight Mile, Levity, Little Black Book, Nine Lives, Won’t Back Down, Jackie, Paradise, Strange Weather, Breakable You, Song to Song, and The Electric State. TV appearances include Roe vs. Wade, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleading-Murdering Mom, Svengali, A Gathering of Old Men, Crazy in Love, Harlan County War, When Billie Beat Bobby, Peep and the Big Wide World, Saving Grace, Top of the Lake, Bonnie & Clyde, Here and Now, Succession, Bless the Harts, The Comey Rule, Mr. Mayor, Mulligan, and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Personal Life: Married to cinematographer Janusz Kaminski from 1995 until their divorce in 2001. Has been in a relationship with Gordon MacDonald since 2001. Had twin sons named Claude and Press in 2006.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Piano. Has also been nominated for Academy Awards for Broadcast News, The Firm, and Thirteen. Won 2 Primetime Emmys for the TV films Roe vs. Wade and The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleading-Murdering Mom. Received a Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. Awarded an honorary doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.

324. Sarah Vowell

Dates: 1969-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Family moved to Bozeman, Montana when she was 11 and graduated from Bozeman High School. Earned a B.A. from Montana State University in 1993 in Modern Languages and Literature. Earned an M.A. in Art History from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1999.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018) as well as various video games and the Incredicoaster theme park attraction.

Characters: Violet Parr

Also Known For: Historian, journalist, essayist, social commentator, and actress who’s written 7 nonfiction books on American history and culture. Was a contributing editor for the radio program This American Life on Public Radio International from 1996 to 2008. Articles have been published in The Village Voice, Esquire, Spin Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, SF Weekly, and The Washington Post. Has been a regular contributor to Salon.com and was one of the original contributors to McSweeney’s. Books include Radio On: A Listener’s Diary, Take the Cannoli: Stories from the New World, The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Assassination Vacation, The Wordy Shipmates, Unfamiliar Fishes, and Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. Film appearances include End of the Line, Gigantic, Please Give, Hit So Hard, and A.C.O.D. TV appearances include Six Degrees, The Colbert Report, Bored to Death, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Last Call with Carson Daly, The Tavis Smiley Show, Conan, and The Who Was? Show.

Personal Life: Has a fraternal twin sister named Amy with whom she retraced the path of the Cherokee’s forced removal from the southeastern US to Oklahoma, which This American Life would devote an hour to. Spends many vacations with her sister and nephew visiting historical sites. Also suffers from celiac disease.

Later Life: Currently lives in Manhattan within New York City. Is on the advisory board of 826 NYC, a nonprofit tutoring and writing center for students aged 6-18 in Brooklyn.

Trivia: None.

325. Jason Lee

Dates: 1970-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Santa Ana, California. Father was a car dealership manager. Raised in Huntington Beach and attended Ocean View High School. A hyperactive and energetic child, Lee took up took up skateboarding after his mom bought him a skateboard hoping he’d use it to burn off excess energy. As he developed his interest in skateboarding, Lee spent most of his time perfecting his craft, leading him to drop out of school in order to pursue a professional career in the sport during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Co-founded the company Stereo Sound Agency with fellow skateboarder Chris “Dune” Pastras, which they’d later revive in 2003. After taking some minor roles in 1992-1994, Lee eventually left professional skateboarding for a full-time acting career. First film was Mallrats in 1995.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) as well as the short Jack-Jack Attack and several video games.

Characters: Buddy Pine/IcrediBoy/Syndrome

Also Known For: Actor, filmmaker, photographer, and former professional skateboarder best known as Earl Hickey in My Name Is Earl, Bones in Monster House, Underdog in Underdog, and Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films. Film appearances include Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, Clerks II, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Cop Out, Mumford, Almost Famous, Heartbreakers, Big Trouble, Dreamcatcher, Columbus Circle, Mi Vida Loca, Drawing Files, A Better Place, Kissing a Fool, Enemy of the State, Vanilla Sky, Stealing Harvard, A Guy Thing, I Love Your Work, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, Drop Dead Sexy, Behaving Badly, Tell, Growing Up Smith, We Bare Bears: The Movie, and The 4:30 Movie. TV appearances include Weapons of Mass Destruction, Saturday Night Live, American Dad!, Memphis Beat, Up All Night, Raising Hope, Men at Work, Peter Rabbit, We Bare Bears, and The Harper House. Video game appearances include Tony Hawk’s Project 8, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Skate 3.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was actress and photographer Carmen Llewelyn from 1995 until their divorce in 2001. Lee later admitted their split was mainly due to his commitment to Scientology at the time as well as admitting to talent manager Gay Ribisi that she read A Piece of Blue Sky (a Scientology critical book), which resulted in her “disconnection letter” from Lee and being labeled a suppressive person. Was engaged to actress Beth Riesgraf from 2001 to 2007. They have a son named Pilot Inspektor born in 2003. Second and current wife is Turkish model Ceren Alkac since 2008. They have a daughter named Casper born in 2008, a son named Sonny born in 2012, and a daughter named Alberta “Birdy” born in 2017. As of 2016, Lee has left Scientology and he and his family have lived in Denton, Texas for 4 years.

Later Life: Has published of books of his instant photography since the late 2010s. In 2019, his photos of Oklahoma were exhibited in OK: Jason Lee Photographs in the Philbrook Museum of Art. Currently lives in Los Angeles.

Trivia: Was nominated twice for a Golden Globe for My Name Is Earl. Has won an Independent Spirit Award for Chasing Amy. Is 1/5 owner of the restaurant Barley and Board.

326. Elizabeth Pena

Dates: 1959-2014

Early Life and Career: Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Father was Cuban actor, playwright, director, and designer. Mother was a producer. Wanted to be an actress since she was 8. Family moved to Cuba when she was less than a year old but returned when she was 9 and resided in New York City where her parents founded the Latin American Theatre Ensemble. Graduated from New York School of the Performing Arts in 1977. Made her film debut in 1979.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) as well as a couple of video games.

Characters: Mirage

Also Known For: Actress best known as Rosa Santos in Maya & Miguel. Film appearances include Down and Out in Beverly Hills, *batteries not included, La Bamba, Jacob’s Ladder, Rush Hour, Nothing Like the Holidays, Lone Star, El Super, Times Square, They All Laughed, Crossover Dreams, Vibes, Blue Steel, The Waterdance, Dead Funny, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Lone Star, Gridlock’d, Strangeland, Seven Girlfriends, Tortilla Soup, Impostor, Zig-Zag, How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer, Transamerica, Down in the Valley, Sueno, Adrift in Manhattan, D-War, Love Comes Lately, A Single Woman, Mother and Child, Down for Life, The Perfect Family, Plush, Grandma, The Lost City, Girl on the Edge, Ana Maria in Novela Land, and The Song of Sway Snake. TV appearances include Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues, Tough Cookies, I Married Dora, Shannon’s Deal, Drug Wars: The Camarena Story, Dream On, L.A. Law, Roommates, The Outer Limits, The Invaders, Boston Public, CSI: Miami, Suburban Madness, NCIS, Justice League, Without a Trace, American Dad!, Racing for Time, Ghost Whisperer, Major Crimes, Modern Family, and Matador.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was TV producer William Stephen Kibler from 1988 to their divorce. Second husband was Hans Rolla from 1994 until her death. Had 2 children named Fiona and Kaelan.

Later Life: Died in 2014 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at 55. Death certificate reads cause of death as liver cirrhosis due to alcohol, which caused acute gastrointestinal bleeding, cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest.

Trivia: Co-founded Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors. Won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Bravo Award for Lone Star.

327. Brad Bird

Dates: 1957-present

Early Life and Career: Born Philip Bradley Bird in Kalispell, Montana but grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. Father worked in the propane business. Paternal grandfather was an Irish immigrant who was president and chief executive of Montana Power Company. Fascination with filmmaking began at an early age. Started drawing at 3, his first cartoons clear attempts at sequential storytelling. Became particularly enamored with animation after a screening of The Jungle Book (1967), and a family friend who had taken animation classes explained how the medium worked. Father found a used camera that could shoot one frame at a time, and helped Bird set up the device for making films. Bird started his first short subject at 11. That same year, his family connection introduced him to composer George Bruns. Bruns then set Bird up a tour of Walt Disney Productions in Burbank, California. There, he met the Nine Old Men and proclaimed that he’d join them one day. After 2 years, Bird completed his first short, a 3-minute adaptation of The Tortoise and the Hare and sent the film to his idols at Disney. The studio responded with an open invitation for Bird to stop whenever in town, which led him to make several visits to Disney’s headquarters in the ensuing years. This opportunity was an “unofficial apprenticeship” of sorts that was “never offered” to anyone previously. Worked closely with Mitt Kahl and began work on another film Ecology American Style, which was ambitious and in color while the workload was intense. Instead, Bird focused on other interests during his high school years and would later graduate from Corvallis High School. That year, Disney awarded Bird a scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts, which he attended after a 3-year break. Classmates included prominent future animators and filmmakers such as John Lasseter, Tim Burton, and Harry Selick. He would accept a job as animator for Walt Disney Productions in 1978. Only to leave disillusioned with the studio to work with Steven Spielberg and later on The Simpsons.  After completing The Iron Giant, Bird reconnected with Lasseter and went on to work for Pixar.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), and The Incredibles 2 (2018) as well as the Auntie Edna short, a few video games, and the Incredicoaster theme park attraction.

Characters: Edna Mode and Ambrister Minion

Also Known For: Filmmaker, animator, and voice actor who’s had a career spanning 4 decades in animation and live-action. Worked behind the scenes for films like The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), The Incredibles 2 (2018), The Fox and the Hound (1981), The Black Cauldron (1985), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Cars 2 (2011), Brave (2012), Monsters University (2013), Inside Out (2015), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Finding Dory (2017), Coco (2017), Toy Story 4 (2019), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Cars (2006), Frozen II (2019), and Lightyear (2022) as well as various shorts. Non-Disney work include Animalympics, Plague Dogs, The Brave Little Toaster, The Iron Giant, batteries not included, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Tomorrowland, An American Tail, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Thumbelina, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Balto, Ice Age, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Corpse Bride, Fog City Mavericks, The Pixar Story, Jurassic World, The Angry Birds Movie, Werewolf by Night, Amazing Stories, Family Dog, Rugrats, The Critic, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons as well as the Canvas short.

 Personal Life: Married to Elizabeth Canney since 1988. They have 3 sons named Nicholas (Squirt), Rusty (Bike Boy), and Michael (Tony Rydinger). Has often been characterized as controlling with an exquisite attention to detail. While his “demanding and punishing” direction has led some to consider him difficult to work with. Also had an older sister named Susan who was killed by her estranged husband.

Later Life: The Incredibles 3 is set to be released soon.

Trivia: Has won 2 Academy Awards for The Incredibles (2004) and Ratatouille (2007). Has won 8 Annie Awards in which he holds the record. Received the Winsor McCay Award in 2011. Designed Sideshow Bob. Believes animation to be an art form, not a genre. Is close friends with John Lasseter. Was offered to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens but turned it down.

328. Bud Luckey

Dates: 1934-2018

Early Life and Career: Born William Everet Luckey in Billings, Montana. Served in the US Air Force during the Korean War. Later served as an illustrator with the NATO Occupied Forces in Europe and North Africa from 1953-1954 and with Strategic Air Command from 1954-1957. His first Air Force duty station were Noasseur Air Base, a nuclear bomber strike base and storage depot south of Casablanca, Morocco. There, he served with the Third Air Force Material Command, Southern District. Additional stations were Lackland AFB, Kelly AFB, and Portland AFB. Was an Air Force reservist through the mid-1960s. After leaving active duty in the Air Force, Luckey attended what is now California Institute of the Arts under the G. I. Bill from 1957 to 1960. Received professional animation training at the University of Southern California with Disney veteran animator Art Babbitt. After graduation, Luckey worked as Babbitt’s assistant/apprentice for a time at Quartet Films in Los Angeles. After a few animation jobs, Luckey became Art Director and Producer at the Guild, Bascom, & Bonfigli advertising agency from 1961-1969. There, he worked on TV commercials for Kellog’s Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, and Rice Krispies as well as Interstate Bakeries’ Dolly Madison products featuring Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts characters. Created the “Bosco Dumbunnies” characters for the Best Foods Chocolate Milk Amplifier product Bosco Chocolate Syrup. It was in advertising where Luckey worked copywriter and future collaborator Don Hadley and the legendary Jim Henson. These friendships would result in Luckey working for Sesame Street through his own animation studio Luckey-Zamora Picture Moving Company during the 1970s.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Winnie the Pooh (2011) as well as the shorts Jack-Jack Attack, Boundin’ and Hawaiian Vacation.

Characters: Rick Dicker, Chuckles the Clown, and Eeyore

Also Known For: Artist, cartoonist, illustrator, musician, singer, and voice actor. Best known for writing and animating many short films for Sesame Street and the Children’s Television Workshop, often doing voice work as well. Also known for his work at Pixar where he worked as a character designer for films like Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), A Bug’s Life (1998), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), and Toy Story 3 (2010). John Lasseter credits Luckey with the creation of Woody who was originally a ventriloquist dummy like Edgar Bergren’s Charlie McCarthy but evolved into a pullstring doll with an empty gun holster. Also, designed and illustrated over 100 children’s books containing his characters.

Personal Life: Father of animator, director, and producer Andy Luckey, best known as producer of the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Later Life: Luckey-Zamora merged with Colossal Pictures during the late 1980s. Luckey himself later joined Pixar in 1992 as its fifth animator and oldest employee. Worked there as a storyboard artist, character designer, and voice performer until his retirement in 2014. Died at his home of a stroke in 2018 in Newtown, Connecticut at 83.

Trivia: Won an Annie Award for Boundin’ which was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Was close friends with Jim Henson.

329. Lou Romano

Dates: 1972-present

Early Life and Career: Born in San Diego, California. Had an interest in drawing and painting at an early age and studied theater arts, performing in plays throughout junior and senior high school. Studied acting at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. After graduating in 1990, Romano studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts. He then completed workshops at The Goundlings in Los Angeles. Later went on to work as an art director and designer for animated projects. Joined Pixar in 2000.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), and Ratatouille (2007) as well as the short Your Friend the Rat, and the Kinect-Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure video game.

Characters: Bernie Kropp, Snot Rod, and Alfredo Linguini

Also Known For: Animator and voice actor best known for his work at Pixar and Laika. Has worked behind the scenes in Monsters, Inc. (2001), The Incredibles (2004), Up (2009), Luca (2021) and the live-action Dumbo (2019) as well as various shorts. Non-Disney projects include The Pagemaster, The Powderpuff Girls, Cats Don’t Dance, The Iron Giant, Dexter’s Laboratory, ParaNorman, The Box Trolls, The Little Prince, Kubo and the Two Strings, Samurai Jack, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Wonder Park, and Wendell & Wild.

Personal Life: Resides in the Bay Area with his wife.

Later Life: Left Pixar to work at Laika in 2009.

Trivia: Has won an Annie Award for his work on The Incredibles (2004). Artwork has been exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art and the Gallery at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as well as been published on the cover of The New Yorker.

330. Peter Sohn

Dates: 1977-present

Early Life and Career: Born in the Bronx in New York City to Korean immigrants. While studying at CalArts, Sohn got a summer job working on The Iron Giant. After graduation, he worked at the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. before coming to Pixar in the art and story departments for Finding Nemo (2003).

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), Monsters University (2013), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Cars 3 (2017), Luca (2021), and Lightyear (2022) as well as various shorts and a few video games.

Characters: Mugger, Emile, Forrest Woodbrush, Ciccio, and Sox

Also Known For: Filmmaker, animator, storyboard artist, and voice actor best known for his work at Pixar. Has worked behind the scenes of Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Brave (2012), Inside Out (2015), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Finding Dory (2016), Cars 3 (2017), Coco (2017), The Incredibles 2 (2018), Toy Story 4 (2019), Onward (2020), Soul (2020), Luca (2021), Turning Red (2022), Lightyear (2022), Elemental (2023), and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as the Win or Lose show and various shorts. Has worked behind the scenes of non-Disney movies including The Iron Giant, Osmosis Jones, Ponyo, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse, and Borrowed Time.

Personal Life: Married to his college sweetheart, artist Anna Chambers. Has 2 children.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Elemental (2023).